Summary:
Zip code 21042 in Ellicott City, Maryland, is home to three high schools serving grades 9-12 (with one serving grades 6-12) within the highly-rated Howard County Public Schools district, offering a stark contrast between two top-tier comprehensive schools and one specialized institution.
Centennial High stands out as the academic leader, holding the highest state rank (25th out of 227) and leading in English Language Arts (84.2% proficiency) and math (34% proficiency). Mount Hebron High is a close peer, offering exceptional consistency with a slightly higher graduation rate (93.7% vs. 93.1%) and a lower dropout rate (3.6% vs. 4.7%). Both schools significantly outperform the district average in ELA proficiency (65.9%), though their overall math scores are dragged down by a surprising "Algebra I paradox"—low proficiency in Algebra I (16.4% and 10.2%) contrasts with strong Algebra II results (37.7% and 43.2%), suggesting accelerated students take the exam early. A hidden challenge at both schools is chronic absenteeism, affecting roughly 1 in 5 students (20.9% at Mount Hebron, 18.0% at Centennial), exceeding the district average of 17.4%.
Homewood School serves a completely different mission as a non-traditional school for students with significant academic, behavioral, or emotional challenges. With a 2.5:1 student-teacher ratio and per-student spending of $81,791 (over 4.5 times the other schools), it provides intensive support for a vulnerable population where 45.87% qualify for free/reduced lunch. Its low test scores (20% ELA, 1.4% math proficiency) and high dropout rate (36.3%) reflect the deep-seated challenges it addresses, not school failure. For families choosing between the traditional schools, Centennial offers a slight edge in academic rigor, while Mount Hebron provides a marginally more supportive environment for at-risk students.
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